Former Detroit Lions prospect Kole Heckendorf is “blessed” to be alive after a plane crashed into his Minnesota home Friday.

Heckendorf, 28, signed to the Lions’ practice squad in October 2009 and then was signed to a futures contract in January 2010 but was cut that May. The North Dakota State alumnus also has had short stays with the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts.

On Friday, he was home alone in Sauk Rapids, Minn., around 8:30 p.m. when he was knocked off of his feet by an explosion, according to the Dickinson (N.D.) Press. A small plane had hit his house, killing both people aboard, plus Heckendorf’s dog, Storm.

“I yelled (for Storm), but there was no chance,” he told the Press.

Coincidentally, Heckendorf had planned to move within the next couple of weeks.

“Basically, we just watched all our stuff burn,” Heckendorf said. “Everything we own is gone.”

Unless you have a very fragile QB1 or a strong developmental QB3 I've never been a big fan of carrying 3 QBs. You lose your franchise QB and your season is practically done, you lose your top 2 for any extended period of time and the season is over... IMO Moore is a waste of a roster spot.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to constructing an NFL roster, as 14 of the league's 32 teams carried just a pair of signal-callers to begin the 2013 season.

The Detroit Lions historically have had three QBs on the roster, but new coach Jim Caldwell's background suggests the team may only employ two on the 53-man roster when the Lions open the season against the New York Giants on Sept. 8.

In 10 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts from 2002-11, Caldwell's clubs carried three quarterbacks to open the year four times. That includes 2011, when the team kept an injured Peyton Manning on the active roster for the majority of the season.

In the six previous campaigns, the Colts started the season with three quarterbacks just once.

Caldwell spent the past two seasons with Baltimore. Both years, the Ravens rolled with just two QBs.

"Every team's different," Caldwell said. "I've been on some teams where we only had two. I've been on teams where we had three. There have been certain situations where we thought about having four, so it just depends. Every team is different, so we'll look at this one as we start to narrow it down and we'll see where we are."

Even with his history, the veteran coach acknowledges the risk of going with just two quarterbacks.

"It's tough to go into these days, this day and age, with the way in which our game is, without a third quarterback," Caldwell said. "I mean, it's difficult, but like I said, I've had a couple places where we've had a couple iron men."

Despite two injury-shortened seasons to start his career, the Lions have found that iron-man quality in Matthew Stafford. He's started 48 consecutive games coming into this season, a franchise record for the position.

Eric Ebron is expected to move around in the Detroit Lions' offense and, as a rookie, is getting fully initiated into how overwhelming learning multiple positions can be.

"I've been everywhere and that is what's killing me," the rookie tight end told the Ross Tucker Football Podcast. "I'm used to either learning the Y or learning the A, which we had at North Carolina. But now it's the Y, the F, the Z."

Despite being tossed into the deep end, Ebron said he hasn't asked coaches to slow down for him.

"Coach just tells me, 'I understand, you're going to get through it ... we are doing it for a purpose,'" Ebron said. "It's really hard, but I'm not going to say I'm not enjoying it or not having fun doing it because I know the more I learn the faster I'm able to play, the faster I'm able to produce."

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound rookie is expected to produce as a move tight end in coordinator Joe Lombardi's offense.

Tucker asked Ebron to break down how much he expects to be lined up in the slot and inside as a blocker.

"Fifty percent in the slot, 40 percent with my hand in the ground, 10 percent in the backfield," Ebron said.

When asked to add in how much he'd line up out wide, the rookie did some math.

"So now if you wanna do that ... it'll be 50, 30, 15, 5," he said.

Regardless of how accurate Ebron's self-projections will be once pads are on, the point is he's expecting to block a good amount from the inline and backfield positions. His blocking skills were his biggest question mark entering the NFL.

"Oh I'm going to block some people," he said. "Coach keeps telling me, 'Look, here we're receiving tight ends, but we are going to be good at everything, we're going to block some people. I was like, 'Coach, I ain't got no problem with it ... I'll tear somebody's head off, but if I get my head torn off I'm comin' back to you, because you put me in that situation.'"

The Lions hope the rookie evolves into the tearer and less the tearee during his rookie season.

looks like he is going to have more of a T.E. roll than i was expecting.

_________________2013 Lionbacker Fantasy Football Champion

July 1st, 2014, 12:18 pm

Pablo

RIP Killer

Joined: August 6th, 2004, 9:21 amPosts: 9645Location: Dallas

Re: Killer's Korner

Quote:

5 areas where Detroit Lions should improve in 2014

Training camp is fast approaching, and with it, speculation about how the Detroit Lions will fare in 2014.

Trying to project an NFL season is a fool's errand, but here are five areas where the Lions are bound to improve from last season.

Ball security The Lions led the league in drops, drop percentage and fumbles last season. Had the team performed to league averages, it would have resulted in 15 fewer passes hitting the ground and seven fewer turnovers.

Sure, some of the familiar culprits remain on the roster in Reggie Bush and Brandon Pettigrew, but the addition of sure-handed Golden Tate, the potential return of Ryan Broyles and the healed fingers of Calvin Johnson, should led to a decrease in drop rate.

As for the fumbles, 20 percent of them came in the blizzard-like conditions in Philadelphia. Bush also lost a career-high four fumbles in 2013, something that will improve or lead to the dynamic veteran getting an earlier hook from a less patient coaching staff.

Special team blunders Detroit's special teams took a significant step forward under new coordinator John Bonamego last season, but the unit also committed a handful of game-altering blunders.

In a 27-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit had a field-goal blocked and rookie Sam Martin shanked a punt in the closing minute, allowing the Bengals to get into field-goal range for the game-winner.

The Lions had three other kicks -- a punt, an extra point and a second field goal -- blocked in 2013. Plus, who can forget the ill-advised fake field goal against the Steelers, which shifted the momentum in that loss.

Matthew Stafford improvement Stafford had a down year in 2013, in part to the drops mentioned above. But some of those struggles were the result of the quarterback's inconsistent mechanics and occasionally questionable decision-making.

With a coaching staff dedicated to refining Stafford's technique, and an improved arsenal of weapons, it would be stunning if the Lions' franchise quarterback didn't take a step forward with his accuracy this season, while dropping his interception rate.

Interceptions from the cornerbacks Chris Houston was the only Lions cornerback to record an interception last season, plucking two from the opposition. He also led the group with two in 2012. Now, he's gone.

Still, the Lions should be able to generate more turnovers on the outside.

Darius Slay was shut out as a rookie, but he had five interceptions his final season at Mississippi State. Teryl Austin's aggressive coverage scheme, relying more on press-man, plays to Slay's strengths and should led to more interception opportunities. The same can be said for third-year nickelback Bill Bentley.

Another key factor will be Austin's propensity to blitz. The multiple fronts and pressure packages the Lions will utilize should led to more rushed and errant throws, at least compared to previous seasons.

Fewer flags Under Jim Schwartz, the Lions were consistently among the most-penalized teams in the NFL. Jim Caldwell's squads, on the other hand, have traditionally ranked near the bottom in penalty yardage. He doesn't tolerate a lack of discipline, especially when those mistakes come after the whistle.

Before you get too excited, remember, fewer penalties doesn't correlate to success. In 2011, Caldwell's Colts were the NFL's least penalized team, yet barely escaped an 0-16 campaign. The Seattle Seahawks drew the most flags last season, by a significant margin, yet managed to win the Super Bowl.

The Lions added a veteran offensive lineman less than two weeks before the start of training camp, signing former Atlanta Falcons guard Garrett Reynolds.

A fifth-round pick by the Falcons in 2009, Reynolds started 23 games over the last three seasons, including 10 in 2013.

Atlanta released Reynolds in February to save nearly $1 million in salary cap space. Reynolds also visited the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys in free agency.

Reynolds’ representation, Allegiant Athletic Agency, announced the deal with the Lions on Twitter. The Lions have not announced a corresponding player move to make room for Reynolds on the roster.

Im a little hesistant about why Dallas passed on him. Their line was pretty shameful last i checked. Hopefully it was his decision not to play for them if not.......im a little concerned.

_________________2013 Lionbacker Fantasy Football Champion

July 17th, 2014, 3:02 pm

Pablo

RIP Killer

Joined: August 6th, 2004, 9:21 amPosts: 9645Location: Dallas

Re: Killer's Korner

Dallas picked Zach Martin in the first round (3rd OL first round pick in the last 4 years), he is projected to start at left guard this season. They are set at LT and C for years, Free needs to bounce back at RT. It is the RG spot that is a problem, they have some talent but a lot of inconsistency there but think they could have used Reynolds in the mix there.

Dallas picked Zach Martin in the first round (3rd OL first round pick in the last 4 years), he is projected to start at left guard this season. They are set at LT and C for years, Free needs to bounce back at RT. It is the RG spot that is a problem, they have some talent but a lot of inconsistency there but think they could have used Reynolds in the mix there.

I knew you'd be the one to correct my thinking! thank you! i feel better about him. I dont know anything about him, you think he is a step up for an ailing Simms?

_________________2013 Lionbacker Fantasy Football Champion

July 17th, 2014, 5:14 pm

DayDreamer

National Champion

Joined: December 18th, 2008, 9:18 amPosts: 844Location: Where I lay my head is home

Re: Killer's Korner

Quote:

ALLEN PARK -- Ndamukong Suh says he wants to stay in Detroit long term. The Lions say they want Suh long term.

But with just three days left before veterans report for the start of training camp, a deal has not yet materialized.

And now it appears that might never happen.

ESPN is reporting the Lions are "not optimistic" they will be able to sign Suh to a new deal.

Suh is in the final year of the contract he signed after Detroit selected him second overall in the 2010 draft. He is set to count $22.4 million against the cap in 2014, then will become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

The Lions could retain Suh for another year under the franchise tag, though that would cost an exorbitant $26.7 million. So they are forced either to re-sign Suh now, or risk watching their most dominant defensive player become an unrestricted free agent in the prime of his career.

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew originally hoped to have an extension wrapped up by the start of free agency. But then Suh fired his longtime agent, Roosevelt Barnes, and took a month to hire new representation.

He eventually signed with Jimmy Sexton in early March, and negotiations on a new deal began shortly thereafter.

Suh said during OTAs that "without question" he wanted to stay in Detroit long term, although wouldn't put a timetable on the negotiations.

"That's why I see myself here in Detroit -- being one of the cornerstones that gets this organization back to a championship level," he said. "Like coach (Jim) Caldwell said, we're not in a rebuilding year. We're in a year of going to get a championship and that's why I want to be here."

Team president Tom Lewand, the point man on most contract negotiations, including Suh's extension, said he expected a deal to get done because both sides were saying they wanted one.

"Ndamukong has said he wants to stay. We want him to stay," Lewand said. "Generally when you have those two things in place, you can get a deal."

That story is such click bait and misrepresents things a bit. The Lions didn't say they were not optimistic about signing him at all. They said they weren't optimistic about signing him before training camp. That's a pretty big distinction. While it's true that most contract renegotiations happen prior to training camp, there are plenty of examples of guys holding out from camp and then reporting after signing a new deal. So for them to say it appears it "may never happen" is a bit much in my opinion. But, I could be wrong. We'll find out soon enough.

_________________"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Adams

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson

That article might be "click Bait". But, Suh has said one thing and then his actions say another in regards to his contract pretty consistent. I have been convinced since the middle of last season that he is leaving as a free agent after this season. That is why I wanted to trade him this year. We didn't trade him and now the best we will get for him is a 4th round pick. That is what a 3rd round comp pick really is. It comes after the regular part of the 3rd round.

I would have preferred a 1st round pick and maybe another pick somewhere between the 3rd and 5th round for him going into this years draft.

But, instead, we watched Suh give lip service about wanting to stay in Detroit even as he was doing everything he could to delay doing anything to make it happen. Now we will wave goodbye at the end of the season and can't do anything to stop it. We won't even be able to do what Cleveland did with their Center because someone will write a contract that we can't match. Cleveland had so much money available that no-one could poison pill them.

July 26th, 2014, 8:58 am

DayDreamer

National Champion

Joined: December 18th, 2008, 9:18 amPosts: 844Location: Where I lay my head is home

Re: Killer's Korner

BillySims wrote:

That article might be "click Bait". But, Suh has said one thing and then his actions say another in regards to his contract pretty consistent. I have been convinced since the middle of last season that he is leaving as a free agent after this season. That is why I wanted to trade him this year. We didn't trade him and now the best we will get for him is a 4th round pick. That is what a 3rd round comp pick really is. It comes after the regular part of the 3rd round.

I would have preferred a 1st round pick and maybe another pick somewhere between the 3rd and 5th round for him going into this years draft.

But, instead, we watched Suh give lip service about wanting to stay in Detroit even as he was doing everything he could to delay doing anything to make it happen. Now we will wave goodbye at the end of the season and can't do anything to stop it. We won't even be able to do what Cleveland did with their Center because someone will write a contract that we can't match. Cleveland had so much money available that no-one could poison pill them.

I wanted them to take Aaron Donald in the 1st, and trade Suh for whatever we can get. Now, the only option is to let him play this season, and he will play lights out because he wants a big contract, then tag and trade him before march.

July 26th, 2014, 10:12 am

Pablo

RIP Killer

Joined: August 6th, 2004, 9:21 amPosts: 9645Location: Dallas

Re: Killer's Korner

Thank you Fords for a crappy team, no cheerleaders and overpriced beer!

Few things go better with football than a cold beer, a point that’s certainly not missed by advertisers. Games on TV are inundated with beer ads, and InBev’s Bud Light has a massive six-year, $1.2 billion deal to be the NFL’s official beer sponsor. In short, the two are practically inseparable.

And for a long time, no NFL fans could use a drink more than those rooting for the Detroit Lions, who have had just two winning seasons since the turn of the century. Unfortunately for the Detroit faithful catching the action from within Ford Field, they have also been forced to pay for the league’s most overpriced beers.

The cheapest beer option in Detroit last year was a 16-ounce beverage that cost $8.50. No other NFL team charged more than that $0.53-per-ounce price (though the Dallas Cowboys matched it with their own $8.50 option). What’s more, in Detroit that price represents a staggering 765% markup compared to local grocery store prices, easily the league’s widest pricing margin.

Only one other team, the Seattle Seahawks, have marked beer prices up more than seven-fold: Seattle’s $8 beers are a 710% increase over the comparable $0.99 options at local marts. The rest of the top five is filled out by the Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts.

To figure out the league’s most overpriced beers, we first turned to Team Marketing Report’s annual study on the costs of attending NFL games, which includes each NFL stadium’s cheapest beer option. We then compared those prices to the average grocery store pricing in each stadium’s local market, with data courtesy of Nielsen senior vice president Andrea Riberi. The NFL’s most overpriced beers are those with the largest percent markup, on a per-ounce basis, from the average market price for “premium” brands (think Budweiser and Coors Light) at local grocery stores, including both promoted and non-promoted pricing over the last year.

Market prices were unfortunately not available in instances where state beer regulations prevented Nielsen from collecting comparable data. That means our study is missing seven teams: Arizona, Baltimore, Minnesota, New England, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Had we compared the Ravens to Washington, DC’s market prices, the team would rank among the better bargains for beer in the league. And for the sake of transparency, the Oakland Raiders (No. 3 most overpriced) were compared to San Francisco pricing, while the Tennessee Titans (No. , who play in Nashville, were compared to Memphis.

In the below graph, the NFL’s ten most overpriced beers are charted against local market prices; where necessary, stadium prices have been prorated to represent the cost of 16 ounces so that a direct comparison can be made to grocery store pricing.

It’s little surprise that NFL stadium beers aren’t cheap, though TMR’s report highlights the fact that many stadiums have begun offering better value options. In 2012, the cheapest beer in MetLife Stadium, shared by the Jets and Giants, was $8.75 for a 16-ounce drink, or about $0.55 per ounce. Last season a new $5, 12-ounce option offered fans a better value buy, or roughly $0.42 per ounce.

That’s still not a great deal, though, after considering local prices. For the Jets and Giants, that $5 beer is a 592% price increase over local stores, making it the ninth-highest markup on a per-ounce basis among the NFL teams for which data is available. The Titans, Colts and 49ers are other teams on our list with beer options at $7 or cheaper, but all three are still more than five times as expensive as local retail options.

Curiously enough, the stadium markups seem to have no relation to fan spending power. The ten stadiums selling the most overpriced beer range from San Francisco and Seattle, with two of the nation’s highest median incomes (both over $60,000), to Buffalo and Detroit, which rank among the lowest (under $30,000).

The league’s best deal for beer is in Jacksonville, where the cheapest in-stadium option – $7 for a 16-ounce drink – is merely triple the price, per ounce, offered at local supermarkets. Just behind the Jaguars on the list of (relative) bargain beers are the Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos.